Andy Reid vs. Chip Kelly and what it means for the Chiefs
May 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid walks on the field during organized team activities at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
With Andy Reid now in Kansas City after a long tenure in Philadelphia, and Chip Kelly now in Philadelphia after building up a college football program in Oregon to the point of being investigated by the NCAA about violations – a sign in college football that you’ve finally made it – there were bound to be some comparisons between the two coaches. After all, Philadelphia hasn’t always been known as the most forgiving fan base, and the “glad-you’re-gone” talk will only escalate before it finally culminates in the Chiefs’ and Eagles’ early season matchup.
As for now, the first real comparisons between how Kelly and Reid run their teams have been coming out over the past week or so. We all heard how Chip Kelly was doing away with the tradition of Taco Tuesday and Fast Food Friday – while Reid didn’t want to take credit for Taco Tuesday, he remained quite fond of Fast Food Friday when asked by reporters and hinted it would continue with the Chiefs organization – and implementing healthy foods in the team’s cafeteria as well as instructions of how to remain health conscious throughout the season and the reasons to do so.
But that’s only one small change from Reid to Kelly, with perhaps the larger change being how the Eagles will conduct OTAs this year. In the article, posted on Monday, May 20th in The Inquirer, it talks about Kelly’s plan to “cut out the fat” of a typical in-season practice day, and in turn, improve the sleeping and eating habits of the Eagles. “The days will be shorter, the practices, workouts, and film sessions more efficient.”
According to the article, it wouldn’t be too difficult to make days shorter from when Andy Reid was the head coach. “Reid’s days – especially the pivotal practice days of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – were long. They started with meetings around 8 a.m. and ended after more meetings in the early evening. In between, there was a walk-through practice, a full practice, strength and conditioning, and film study.
“But there was also a decent amount of down time. Reid never came out and said it, but he kept the days long because (a) he could and (b) he wanted to keep the players under his watchful gaze.”
While this seems like a sound practice, especially considering the amount of trouble NFL players like to get into, Kelly countered this by saying “If I can’t trust them when they leave this building then we probably brought the wrong guys in here.” And as the article points out, it’s “not as if Reid’s players didn’t have enough time to get in trouble during the season.”
Just Google: LeSean McCoy, in trouble with law.
So Chiefs fans, what do you think when you read about the differences between Reid and Kelly? From just reading this article, do you like how Reid runs his team, or do you think the innovation Kelly is bringing in is a better method? Are you OK with Reid bringing this style of coaching with him to Kansas City?
We must remember how successful Reid was in Philadelphia while Kelly is still unproven, as well as realize that just because Reid practiced these methods in Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily mean he will bring them all to KC. So fill up the comments section with your thoughts on the Reid vs Kelly comparisons and how you feel about what Reid is bringing to the Chiefs.